Brainstorming about history, politics, literature, religion, and other topics from a 'gypsy' scholar on a wagon hitched to a star.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Jeju Island - Day Four (Yesterday, 2/19/2012): Much Hiking

Day four of our vacation -- also known as 'yesterday' -- required a bit more walking, even hiking, than previous days. In the image below, you see En-Uk, Sa-Rah, and me captured in a family moment by Sun-Ae as we start up the walkway toward Seongsan Ilchulbong, a tuff cone volcano, which apparently means that it is a steep-sloped volcanic cone formed in interaction with water, whatever that implies. Anyway, it wasn't as 'tuff' as us since we conquered its lofty peak, as succeeding photos will prove.

The hike up was not without its quirks, and here's one now: Grandmother Stone. According to tradition, one must bow four times to pass this natural wonder, but we didn't, yet still managed to pass! So much for the laws of nature . . .

The next photo holds proof that we conquered Mt. Seong's peak! Or maybe only its 'peek'? Take a look, there's no there there. From the heights above this crater, which we couldn't ascend because one needs an airplane for that, Seongsan looks like a soccer stadium.

Below -- and it looks really below, doesn't it? -- you see that Sun-Ae caught the three of us in another family moment as we descend Seongsan Ilchulbong.

Finally safe and soundly exercised by our hike, we hiked further down, all the way down to see the sea beside the rock cliff formed by one of Seongsan's steeper sides.

Here, you see En-Uk treading the volcanic rocks that jut into the sea, an area, incidentally, where the local seawomen pursue their livelihood of diving for seafood, holding their breath for minutes at a time as they scour the sea floor to find it.

Here's Sa-Rah on the same volcanic structure, with me and En-Uk approaching in the background.

We headed next for Woo Island, which sounds romantic until one realizes that "woo" is the Korean word for "cow"! To the Korean eye, this island looks exactly like a reclining cow, precisely as shown in the photo below. Hmmm . . .

Once safely conveyed by ferry to Cow Island, we sought out a cave just in time for the camera batteries to fail, so this photo is the final one from Sun-Ae's camera yesterday.

We did manage a few photos with cell phones, but those would need to be uploaded onto computer when we get back to Seoul . . . if we decide to use any.

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About Me

I am a professor at Ewha Womans University, where I teach composition, research writing, and cultural issues, including the occasional graduate seminar on Gnosticism and Johannine theology and the occasional undergraduate course on European history.
My doctorate is in history (U.C. Berkeley), with emphasis on religion and science. My thesis is on John's gospel and Gnosticism.
I also work as one-half of a translating team with my wife, and our most significant translation is Yi Kwang-su's novel The Soil, which was funded by the Literature Translation Institute of Korea.
I'm also an award-winning writer, and I recommend my novella, The Bottomless Bottle of Beer, to anyone interested.
I'm originally from the Arkansas Ozarks, but my academic career -- funded through doctoral and postdoctoral fellowships (e.g., Fulbright, Naumann, Lady Davis) -- has taken me through Texas, California, Switzerland, Germany, Australia, and Israel and has landed me in Seoul, South Korea. I've also traveled to Mexico, visited much of Europe, including Moscow, and touched down briefly in a few East Asian countries.
Hence: "Gypsy Scholar."